Vacuum cleaner nozzle



Feb. 4, 1964 c. J. PAULER ETAL VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 Charles J 0 INVENTORS.

I y 5 820 1'1 "'1 I 9 S Feb. 4, 1964 c. J. PAULER ETAL VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 Feb. 4, 1964 c. J. PAULER ETAL VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 AN MN United States Patent 3,120,021 VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Charles J. Pauler and Joseph F. Schmitz, St. Paul, Minn, assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,164 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-377) This invention relates to improvements in a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure.

The customary tank or canister type vacuum cleaner normally employs a flexible hose to which is attached an end of a tubular wand. The other end of the wand is attached to a nozzle for contact with a rug, or other work surface being cleaned. This invention is concerned with an improved nozzle having a motor driven brush therein.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved asymmetrical vacuum cleaner nozzle construction employing a driven brush.

' A specific feature of the invention is to provide an improved nozzle for tank or canister type vacuum cleaners having a driven brush, an electric motor, and related actuating mechanism for driving the brush. The entire actuating mechanism, including the motor, is separate from the nozzle suction system to prevent contamination of the actuating mechanism by dirt and grit drawn through the suction passage of the nozzle, and to permit unrestricted airflow through the suction system.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a vacuum cleaner nozzle embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view partially broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view or the nozzle;

FIGURE 4 is a lront elevational view, partially in section;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken on the line 5-5 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken on the line 66 in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the vacuum cleaner nozzle includes a body or casing 10 to which is pivotally mounted a wand 11. The wand 11 extends into a yoke 12 pivo-tally secured to flanges 14 on casing 10 by pivot pins 15. The wand 11 is detachably secured to the yoke and serves as a handle during operation of the unit. The lower end of the wand 11 is received in a swivel tube 17 mounted in a plate 18 secured to and forming a part of the yoke 12. The lower end of the swivel tube 1'7 ter- Initiates in a right angle elbow 19 and communicates through a swivel joint 20 with a suction passage means, here shown as an air intake tube 21. The air intake tube 21 communicates with a suction chamber or passage 22 in nozzle portion 23 of casing 10. The swivel joint 20 pivots about an axis which coincides with the pivot axis of yoke 12. That is, the center line of the swivel joint 20 coincides with the center lines of the pivot pins 15.

As is best shown in FIGURE 6, the swivel joint 20 includes an outstanding flange 25 on intake pipe 21, a cylindrical bushing 26 having an inturned flange 27 en gaging flange 25, and a sleeve 28 integral with swivel tube 17 and having a flange 29 which overlies and engages bushing 26 to secure the swivel joint assembly.

In addition to yoke supporting flanges 14, and nozzle 23, the housing It} includes front suspension wheel mounts 30 each receiving a suspension wheel 31, and rear suspension wheel mounts 32 each receiving a rear suspension wheel 33. The housing also includes a hood 35 with an 3,120,021 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 open grill 36 along the front face and an opening 37 in the rear face, for the circulation of woling air around electric motor 40.

The casing 10 is fabricated of a material having suitable strength, such as a die casting or rigid plastic, and is covered with a :sheath of suitable flexible padding material 42 to protect furniture and walls 'from impact with the casing. A pulley 44- on the rotor of motor 49 re ceives a belt 45 which passes around pulley 46 on brush shaft 47. Opposite ends of brush shaft 47 are rotatably mounted in bearings 50 each secured to the casing is by brackets 51. A brush is mounted on shaft 47 for rotation by motor to.

The brush shaft bearings 50, pulley 46, and belt 45 are sealed from the suction chamber 22 by flexible seals at either end of the brush 55. The seal 60' may be fabricated of any suitable flexible material, such as polyethylene. Each seal 60 includes a body portion 61 having a circular aperture 62 the edges of which extend into a circular notch 63 in brush spindle 64 fixed to the shaft 47. The outer edge of the body 61 is provided on three sides with an offset flange 65 received in a cooperating notch 66 in casing 10. The seal 60 is retained in the notch by a member 68 engaging bottom cover plate 70.

With reference to FIGURE 3, the bottom cover plate 76 encloses the nozzle suction chamber 22, the air intake tube 21, the motor 40, belt 45, bearing 50, and related elements. An airtight seal is provided between the cover. plate 7t) and the adjacent periphery of the nozzle suction chamber '22. The cover plate 70 is provided with suction openings 72, adjacent brush 55, through which dirt and grit are drawn from the rug or other work surface into the nozzle suction chamber 22. Recessed channels 73 and 73b are provided adjacent the end openings in the series of openings 72. The channel 73 is adjacent the belt pulley 4-6 at one end and channel 73b is adjacent the bearing 50 at the other end and are in the form of an upward recess which communicates with adjacent openings 72 to pass air into the recess from outside the nozzle. Additional channels 73a and 73c are perpendicular to channels 73 and 73b and provide more air flow to these channels. The plurality of channels 73, 73a, 73b and 73c allow dirt and gr ll to pass from the rug beneath these channels and into openings 72.

The front suspension wheel 31 at the side adjacent the belt drive projects through an opening 75 in the cover plate 79. The opposite front suspension wheel 31 is outside the periphery of the cover plate 70. The cover plate 7 0 is secured to the casing .10 at the front end by a flange 77 on the casing 10 received in a peripheral groove 78 on the cover plate 70. The rear portion of the cover plate 70 is provided with a protrusion 79 received by a notch in a spring clip so secured to the housing It).

The motor 49 is mounted in the body portion of housing 10 in oil-set or asymmetrical relationship with respect to the elongated air intake nozzle 23 so that the side of the nozzle 23 opposite the motor is free to extend under furniture and other overhanging obstructions. The nozzle suction chamber 22 communicates with the front openings 72 and with the air intake tube 21 so that the suction system is entirely separated from the motor 40, the driving belt 45, and the pulleys 44 and 46. Because of this construction the horizontal motor 40 may be suspended on the casing 10 as close to the work surface 56 as is desired, thereby lowering the overall height or the casing 16}, including the hood '35.

Cooling air is provided for the motor 40 through appropriate openings in the hood 35, such as openings in grill 36, and openings 37 adjacent the rear of the hood. The suction system including nozzle suction chamber 22 and air intake tube 21 are unobstructed by the brush actuating mechanism including motor 40, belt 44, and pulleys 45 and 46. Dirt and grit picked up by the nozzle does not contact the brush actuating mechanism, or the brush bearings 59, and the life of these elements is thereby increased. In addition, these elements cannot collect lint and thereby block the suction system.

The swivel joint 26, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, is of such construction that it does not limit free pivotal movement of the wand 11 with respect to the housing 19. The air intake tube 2.1, the swivel joint 28, and the swivel tube 17, may be fabricated of any suitable material, but these components are all preferably fabricated of polyethylene.

The operation of the unit is as follows:

Then wand 11 is connected in a conventional manner, such as by a hose (not shown), to a tank or canister type vacuum cleaner suction inlet, and the motor is connected to a suitable source of electric power. Suction is thereby applied through tube 16, swivel tube 17, air intake tube 21, nozzle suction chamber 22, end openings 72 to the rug, or other work surface 56. With motor in oneration, the brush 55 is rotated and in combination with the suction applied through openings 72 the rug is thoroughly cleaned. The advantage of the greater suction available from tank or canister type vacuum cleaners is thereby incorporated with the advantages of the rotary brush to produce a substantially more effective and efiicient cleaning unit. Dirt, hot, and grit drawn into the nozzle suction chamber 22 flow past smooth unobstructed surfaces and directly into the wand without contacting the brush actuating mechanism. Thus any build-up of lint and the like which would obstruct the flow of dirt laden air is prevented.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no limitations are to be understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

A vacuum cleaner nozzle structure, comprising: a body having a suction passage for dirt laden air provided with an elongated inlet and an outlet; a rotatable brush in said suction passage; a motor mounted on said body for rotating said brush; a conduit forming a part of said suction passage having an exit end; a tube having a first end communicating with said exit end and a second end; means forming a swivel connection between said exit end and said first end, said swivel connect-ion having an axis about which said tube is arcuately movable that is substantially parallel to said elongated inlet; a handle support on said body other than said tube arcua-tely movable about an axis that substantially coincides with said swivel connection axis; and means in said handle support receiving a wand tube in communication with said tube second end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,483,973 Hoover Feb. 19, 1924 1,483,975 Hoover Feb. 19, 1924 2,134,396 Campbell Oct. 25, 1938 2,146,763 Replogle Feb. 14, 1939 2,348,861 Smellie May 16, 1944 2,734,220 Tschudy Feb. 14, 1956 2,740,984 Holt Apr. 10, 1956 3,011,188 Mcnchc Dec. 5, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 249,324 Switzerland Apr. 1, 1948 851,462 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1960 

